What is your Tax Identification Number in Costa Rica?

By Easyco Updated October 8, 2026

Costa Rica is known to be one of the most business-friendly and supportive countries in Central America for people from all around the world. It not only promotes the immigration of professionals, but it is also very focused on attracting investors and companies of all sizes to pursue business activities in the country, with the goal of developing new industries.

Furthermore, since May 2021, Costa Rica is also part of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), which supports the transparency of political and economical measures which the objective of developing better ways of living around the world.

EASYCO - TAX ID IDENTIFICATION NUMBER COSTA RICA

What is the Tax ID in Costa Rica?

In Costa Rica, there is no specific Tax Identification Number provided by the Tax Authority. The identification used is either the Physical Identification Number of a natural person or the Corporate Identification Number (cédula jurídica) assigned by the Registro Nacional when the company is registered. Since June 2025, new S.A. and S.R.L. companies are identified only by this number (Ley 10729).

If you are a foreigner your Tax ID Number is the same as your immigration identification document or ‘DIMEX’. It is issued by the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería when you obtain residency.

Non-resident foreigners without a DIMEX who need to deal with the tax administration can request a Special Tax Identification Number (NITE) online in TRIBU-CR, using their passport.

Do I need to have a registered company in Costa Rica?

Not necessarily. Individuals can register an activity with the tax administration using their cédula, DIMEX or NITE. If you want to invoice as a company, limit your liability or hire staff, you need a Costa Rican company, and its cédula jurídica becomes its tax ID.

How to obtain a Tax Identification Number in Costa Rica?

If you have a registered company in Costa Rica, then you already have your Tax Identification Number (TIN). Before the company starts operating, register it as a taxpayer in the Registro Único Tributario through the Ministerio de Hacienda on TRIBU-CR, the platform that replaced ATV on 6 October 2025.

However, if you don’t have a company yet, and you need a Tax ID then it is time to incorporate one. Costa Rica has no residency requirement for directors or managers, and since June 2025 companies no longer need a resident agent. Some filings, such as the annual beneficial-ownership declaration, need a Costa Rican digital signature, so plan your legal representation early.

These are the steps you need to follow to form a company in Costa Rica and obtain your Tax ID:

Choose the right type of company and/or legal structure
Appoint the managers and the legal representative
Prepare and sign all required documentation
Sign the deed before a Costa Rican notary and register it with the Registro Nacional (no name reservation since June 2025)
Receive the cédula jurídica and register the company in TRIBU-CR
Open a corporate bank account

Get Assistance from Easyco Experts!

Costa Rica is the perfect country to register your company in Central America! To make sure you register your company in the right way, in compliance with all local laws and regulations, you can get in touch with us. Our team of experts is going to make the company registration process easy for you!

At Easyco, we make company formation in Costa Rica easy; our team of corporate experts has vast experience helping companies and individuals register their business in Costa Rica, with a proven track record of success across all of our services. Easyco aims to tackle the complex company formation processes across LATAM and makes business registration easy by providing a hassle-free online company registration experience. Start your company in Costa Rica today!

Easyco also provides additional services to guarantee your company’s compliance, which include: